A Court of Sunlight and Shadows

A lot to live without

The rounds of winnowing that Drakon was making them do, before leading them to the secret place where they hid, were exhausting.

The spell protecting them was so strong that even the most powerful of the High Lords could not winnow directly. Azriel had lost count of how many times they had moved already.

Nesta, the only one of them who was not so accustomed to this kind of traveling, was beginning to look pale in the face.

"Is it much further still?" Cassian asked as their feet landed in the middle of what appeared to be a rocky desert. The sky above their heads was gray, the clouds so dense that not a single ray of sunshine leaked through.

Nesta leaned on her mate to keep her balance.

Elain had winnowed even less than she had. Would she have resisted, or would she have already thrown up in case they had dragged her into this mission?

"Not much longer, this is the last step. The most difficult one."

"Thanks the gods," muttered Cassian to himself, while Mor seemed to hold back a laugh, hidden by her long blond hair that the wind swept across her face.

Finally, Myryam herself appeared behind them. Her appearance was sudden, almost as if she had winnowed. Yet Azriel noticed the footprints of her shoes on the gravel surrounding them; they looked as if she had been walking for a while.

Drakon was at her side. She wasted no time with greetings to the group, addressing only a nod to her partner.

"Come with me," she said.

Rhys was the first to follow, all of them behind him.

They led them to a small cave. The entrance was so narrow that he wondered if Cassian would be able to get through. That could not really be the enchanted passageway that led to their city.

Myriam turned toward them.

"Don't worry," she said, seeing their puzzled expressions. "We will not be crushed."

Then she murmured something, which to his ears sounded like the ancient language. The small passage widened, with the delicacy and lightness of a curtain, although in appearance it seemed to be made of pure, solid stone.

An illusion.

In front of their eyes opened the outline of a city that, unlike the place they had occupied a second before, shone with the light of the sun beating down on it. The sky was blue and the sun almost as bright as that of the day court.

The city was no larger than he had imagined. Yet he was still surprised that their people had lived in secret, hidden, for centuries. A bit like Velaris. He wondered how many other cities there were in the world that lived hidden and in peace.

Every house, and even the wide palace that stood not far from where they were now and to which they were being led, seemed to be built simply. No marble or pageantry, gold or silver. Wood, earth: just materials that could be found easily. Yet, it was of an elegance that even some courts could not boast of possessing.

They led them to the gates of that great palace. His friends kept looking around, curious and surprised, admiring the people and their city. His shadows, meanwhile, informed him of every detail, like Drakon's quickened beats as he walked behind Myryam. She, chin high and stride determined, kept avoiding his gaze, and she had not yet addressed them.

He quickly looked for Rhys, who confirmed with a nod that he was thinking the same things.

They climbed the steps that led them into a large hall. A single table in the center of the room, devoid of chairs. His shadows informed him that the building was deserted. There were no other citizens or servants inside.